Why Vikings: Valhalla is Ending After Season 3

The Netflix original series ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ will conclude with its third season in 2024. ‘Valhalla’ has garnered a considerable number of views, and the creator had mentioned the possibility of producing up to five seasons. Therefore, this decision to end the series has come as quite a surprise to viewers.

There are still many stories left to tell in this series. Leif and Freydis are yet to explore the American continent, and Harald needs to serve as a Roman soldier in Constantinople for 16 years before becoming the King of Norway. It seems unlikely that all these events can be covered within the remaining eight episodes.

The exact reason behind the earlier-than-expected conclusion of Vikings: Valhalla remains unclear. As the seasons progress, the actors' salaries and staff wages increase, which might have led Netflix to cancel the renewal of the series. The production cost of Valhalla is estimated to be between $3 million and $5 million per episode, which is relatively lower than series like House of the Dragon.

The circumstances of the production company might have also played a role in the decision to not renew the series. While Vikings: Valhalla is a Netflix original series, it is produced by MGM Television. Around the time season 2 was released, MGM was acquired by Amazon. Amazon provides an SVOD service called Prime Video. From Amazon's perspective, supplying a popular franchise series to their competitor, Netflix, might not have been appealing.

Therefore, even if Vikings: Valhalla concludes, its sequel might be released through platforms like Prime Video.

In fact, Vikings: Valhalla has numerous foreshadowing elements that suggest the series was planned to extend up to five seasons. Notably, the Battle of Stamford Bridge, which marked the end of the Viking era, has been hinted at as the potential conclusion of the series. The main character of this series, Harald Sigurdsson, along with prominent supporting characters like Earl Godwin of Wessex and Emma of Normandy, are all directly or indirectly involved in this historical event.

The Vikings franchise has been running for 12 years since its premiere in 2013. Regardless of how it unfolds, it is hoped that this successful franchise will receive a fitting conclusion.